The New Light of Myanmar. Normally all the railing against ‘foreign stooges’ and exhortations to ‘national duty’ (ie
following the diktats of the ruling generals) is good for a cynical
chuckle. But, as the song goes, that joke isn’t funny anymore." />

Burma’s referendum among ruins

I’ve been reading today’s edition of propaganda rag The New Light of Myanmar. Normally all the railing against ‘foreign stooges’ and exhortations to ‘national duty’ (ie
following the diktats of the ruling generals) is good for a cynical
chuckle. But, as the song goes, that joke isn’t funny anymore.

The paper is full of images of life returning to ‘normal’ in Rangoon
and pictures of planes stocked with relief supplies being unloaded by
soldiers. The generals are everywhere – Prime Minister Thein Sein
apparently ‘comforts’ cyclone hit people. The photograph shows him
standing ramrod straight with a reception committee fanning out around
him. Missing are any images of the monks who mobilized first to clear
roads and help people with whatever means at their disposal. The junta
sees them as troublemakers, so instead it keeps up its
self-aggrandizement while impounding planeloads of food sent by the
World Food Programme. In the Netherlands, where I live, there is news
of a Dutch aid group attempting to smuggle in food aid via the
Thai-Burma border using Burmese ground staff. By now everyone one knows
what a murderous mess the official relief effort (or lack thereof) is
turning into, with each passing day pushing the death toll of the
cyclone-hit higher and higher.

Burma’s generals clearly have other fish to fry. Todays’ paper opens
with the announcement (in large type of course): ‘To approve the State
Constitution is a national duty of the entire people today. Let us all
cast “Yes” vote in the national interest.’ The reference is to the
referendum on a new Constitution which the generals insist must go
ahead tomorrow throughout the country (except for the worst-hit areas
where voting has been postponed by two weeks). Imagine the huge state
machinery and resources that such an operation will take up and
contrast it with the pitiful official aid effort.

This referendum is the most contrived effort of this regime for a
while yet. The junta started the process of drafting a new constitution
for the country way back in 1993. The candidates chosen for the job
didn’t include the opposition National League for Democracy or people
who could be considered representative of civil society. Instead the
handpicked candidates nodded through the lumbering process dictated by
the junta until suddenly this year it was announced that the draft
constitution was complete and the people would be allowed to vote on
it.

Until a month ago, the text of the constitution wasn’t available for
people to read for themselves though key aspects of its contents had
been leaked out. Instead there was continuous propaganda for a ‘yes’
vote. When the text did appear it was available only as a few copies in
bookshops, hardly the widespread dissemination needed for people to
make an informed choice. Laws appeared which made criticizing the
document or campaigning for a ‘no’ vote offences with jail terms
attached. Burma’s 400,000 monks were excluded from those who could
vote. People working in government jobs were threatened with loss of
employment if they voted ‘no’. Reports began trickling in that the
regime’s thugs were beginning campaigns of intimidation in villages to
force a ‘yes’ vote. Yup, this is the process that’s going to the lead
the Burmese people to democracy according to the junta.

The constitution itself is widely interpreted as sanctioning the
rule in perpetuity of the military. It guarantees a 25 per cent
presence in any future parliament for the military and that 25 per cent
is also going to be the top executive layer. Anyone with foreign family
connections may not be in government (thus neatly eliminating Aung San
Suu Kyi from this vision of democracy). Thus all the constitution will
aim to do is confer a patina of legitimacy to this most illegitimate of
governments.

The New Light of Myanmar also carries the third lengthy
installment of an essay entitled ‘The most appropriate constitution’ in
which the author is at pains to put a positive gloss on continued
military involvement in politics. Here are a couple of extracts to
give you a flavour:

‘It is common knowledge that the Tatmadaw [armed forces]
played a leadership role in the national politics of the independence
struggles and in safeguarding the independence. And it is still playing
the leadership role, standing by the nation and steadfastly loyal to
the national politics...

‘In truth, there is no need to ask why the Tatmadaw wants
to engage in the national politics. Whenever politicians committed
misconduct, they were disunited, and vied each other for power, they
turned to armed revolt, and the Tatmadaw had to sacrifice many lives of
its members… The people had to withstand various forms of havoc
triggered by the activities of the politicans. So I don’t think it is
prudent to let opportunist politicians to monopolize political affairs
at will. The Tatmadaw does not want to let any situations to happen
that make the people get into troubles, nor can it sacrifice the lives
of its members due to the plots of the politicians. Tatmadaw members
have to sacrifice their lives in times of emergency. So, they should
have the rights to give advice and make suggestions of politicians’
acts, shouldn’t they? Therefore, it has become clear that the Tatmadaw
should participate in the national political leadership role of the
future State.’

Well, that’s that settled then. The writer goes on to voice a
universal truth: ‘Actually, politicans by nature are harmful to the
nation.’ Without mentioning that the alternative on offer here is even
worse. The piece ends thus:

‘Very clear, we will have to unanimously cast “Yes” vote
for the new constitution. Only then, will it be possible for us to get
the most discipline-flourishing and developed democratic nation. We
have to be convinced that casting “Yes” vote for approval of the
constitution is shouldering a national duty.

‘In conclusion, I would like to urge all to lead an easy
life in the new democratic nation after casting “Yes” vote for the
constitution in the referendum.’

The bitter irony of this reference to the ‘easy life’ in the current circumstances was obviously lost on the state censors.

In the end, many feel, it will matter little how those who turn up
vote. There are no international observers and the stage looks set for
rigging. The generals have also probably learnt lessons from the
elections of 1990 in which they were routed, when they hubristically
thought they would win. This referendum, planned to take place under
near-universal condemnation, needs to deliver a result more conducive
to them.

That this charade must be played out during a crisis on a scale of the Asian tsunami... well, there are just no words for it.

What a tragedy! How much longer must Burmese people continue to suffer? The junta holds state power against the will of the people and the world. Their claim of sovereignty is totally invalid; people are sovereign. The junta is only a group of selfish, power hungry, and greedy people who have enslaved the people as well as the foot soldiers, who ought to understand that their real paymasters are the farmers and other workers. There must be a military coup by loyal officers and soldiers of the Burmese military on the corrupt and stupid junta.By obstructing or impeding foreign aid that is desperately needed by my people, AND letting them die is a crime. The junta's action in obstructing foreign aid and their inaction in helping the people is equivalent to genocide! The world has now moral authority to charge them with crime against humanity. They must be tried. Their sham constitutional referendum will be ignored by all except the junta only.Time is running out for hundreds of thousands of Burmese people who have become refugees at home. Burmese people, monks and soldiers must now unite against the junta for salvation, liberation and freedom - and democracy.NOW IS THE TIME TO ACT!

About the author

Dinyar Godrej has been associated with New Internationalist since 1989, but joined as an editor in 2000. His interest in human rights has led him to focus on subjects like world hunger, torture, landmines, present day slavery and healthcare. His belief in listening to people who seldom get a chance to represent themselves led to unorthodox editions on (and by) street children and people with disabilities from the Majority World. He grew up in India and remains engaged with South Asian affairs.

Dinyar wrote the original No-Nonsense Guide to Climate Change (2001) and edited Fire In The Soul(2009).

An early fascination with human creative endeavour endures. He has recently taken to throwing pots in his free time.

New Internationalist reports on issues of world poverty and inequality. We focus attention on the unjust relationship between the powerful and the powerless worldwide in the fight for global justice. More about our work